Glee: Back to the Top (the third book in the Glee series)

Chapter 1: Over the Summer

Well, here goes the beginning of the third installment to the TOND series! I know you all really want to know who won the character contest. I had a lot of great entries and reviewed all of them with multiple people until the best fit was chosen for what this story will be about. If you weren't chosen now, don't worry. I want this to be an interactive story so I will be having more opportunities to get involved so be on the lookout for more contests! Now... Without further ado, the winner was... JuJube236!!!!!!

You cheated and looked down at that line before reading the first part, huh? Cheaters :)

Anyway, the chosen character will be introduced soon so for now get excited and let's begin!

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"Juliet Grace Vasquez," said a deep, silky voice from behind the petite, dark-haired girl, who had been organizing her new locker. "Who'd have thought we'd be locker buddies senior year?" Julie turned and smiled as her friend, Jake Puckerman, stood there with his hands clutching his backpack and a grin on his face, signaling the locker next to hers.

"Jake!" she beamed, wrapping her arms around him. "It's so good to see you!" 

"You, too," he said as she let go. "Although I do have to say, you're in great trouble." 

Julie closed her locker and turned, alarmed, as she joined him down the hall. "Trouble?" she said with trepidation. "Why? What did you hear?"

"Nothing," Jake shrugged, looking down at her. "That's the problem. You made me promise to never stop being friends and yet I didn't get a single response from you all summer."

Julie sighed with relief as she apologized. "I wasn't at home much," she explained with a frown. "With the wedding and the honeymoon and Dan and his mom moving in with us, everything was just crazy."

"It's alright," he said with a kind laugh. "Really. I'm not as offended as I'm pretending to be. I'm glad you kept busy."

"I would've invited you all to the wedding," Julie continued, "but it was in Texas so that most of our relatives could make it and honestly it wouldn't have been very fun for you guys. Not even the reception."

"I'm not a fan of weddings so don't sweat it," Jake said, dismissing her apologies. "So, uh, did you at least get to spend time with Ryder over the break?"

Julie looked up at him, her eyes shifting from him to the ground. "Uh, yeah," she said. "Yeah, definitely." Her thoughts changed to picturing herself alone in her room, which is what she really did, without the presence of Ryder.

"Cool," Jake said. "I'm happy for you."

"What about you?" she asked him with curiosity and a desire to change the subject. "Go on any dates? Meet anyone?"

"Yes and not exactly," he said, watching for any sort of reaction. "I, uh, was seeing someone but... It was just a fling. It ended kind of suddenly so..."

"Oh," Julie nodded, telling herself to not let it surprise her that Jake had flings. "That's nice."

She was about to ask for details-- and not because she wanted to know but because it was the friendliest thing to do-- when she spotted Ryder Lynn, her boyfriend, rounding the corner. He was walking with her best girlfriend, Kitty Wilde, and as soon as they spotted each other, she turned to Jake.

"It's cool if you need to--" Jake started, signaling in Ryder's direction.

"No!" Julie exclaimed a little too quickly. "Umm, I mean, we're just going to meet up later. Besides, I'm talking to you; that would be rude."